Another Gersday Thursday is here and we’ve got another great Gerson Therapy tidbit for you!
When we first started Gerson, one of the biggest adjustments was not using one of our most popular first-world conveniences: the microwave. In fact, as soon as we got home from our Gerson Basics Workshop, we did our own research and then immediately went and unplugged our unit so we wouldn’t be tempted to use it again. It’s now been over a year and a half and we’ve not used it to heat up our food. (We did find another use for it, though.) That’s a pretty big accomplishment when you have four kids who are ALWAYS hungry. Fortunately, we’ve not had a casualty yet.
So what’s the big deal with microwaves?
First of all, it’s very interesting to know that after World War II, Russians started taking a closer look at microwaves and the effects on humans. After their studies, a national warning was put out to their citizens about the harmful effects that were discovered and they were banned until the early 90s.
But, how could we stop using such a convenient piece of equipment?! Even the 20-year Russian study wasn’t enough to slow down the popularity of the microwave and it is used worldwide now. How many people can you think of who don’t have one?
Dr. Mercola put out a very detailed article that covers a lot of information, so I encourage you to take a look at it. We will put some of the main points here for you to begin chewing on before you do your own research.
-Microwaves work by rapidly moving the water molecules in food and turning them into steam. This seems harmless, right? Unfortunately, this same action can also change the chemical composition of your food into something that can be harmful.
-There are plenty of studies showing how big the negative impact is on the food you are reheating. That healthy piece of food that you thought was going to be good for you? No so much anymore. Antioxidants are lost, vitamins are decreased, proteins are altered, some items are changed into carcinogens (cancer causing), the list goes on and on…
-As you probably know, not only does the food change, but the container holding the food can change as well. BPA is one of those plastic ingredients that can leak into whatever you are heating and it won’t be the “special sauce” you’ll want on anything.
“But even if there’s nothing wrong with your microwave, keep in mind that standing a foot away from it while it’s running can expose you to upwards of 400 milliGauss, and a mere 4 milliGauss has been firmly linked to leukemia.”
There have also been plenty of studies showing the effects of radio waves on exposed people. Needless to say, the results aren’t good. The waves are so bad that our country mandates microwave manufacturers to meet certain standards to attempt to contain them. Just about any traditional doctor will tell pregnant women to avoid standing anywhere near an operating microwave. Ever think about why?
A Swiss food chemist, Dr. Hans Hertel, did quite a bit of research on microwaves himself. The results were astonishing and I encourage you to Google his name and see what you find out.
What’s the solution?
For us, we’ve completely made the change of heating all our food via stovetop (in appropriate cookware like stainless steel), the oven, and for smaller items, a toaster oven. It did take some time to get used to, but it’s become so normal now that I don’t even think of using a microwave. You will get weird looks, even from family members, but the food tastes better and our family stays healthy.
We’ll take the weird looks any day.
As always, do your own research. See what you find and put a comment back here for others. Don’t ignore those suspicious feelings in your gut or do things because everyone else is doing them. Be confident about your own health and know exactly how you are impacting it!
Today’s No Muck Motto:
I Will Take Responsibility For My Own Health!